Landscape Lighting

In the evening, your amazing garden gradually loses its appeal, plunging into the dark. The shapeless silhouettes of shrubs and trees sometimes cause a feeling of fear. Well-planned landscape lighting is capable of prolonging its charm. It is very important to choose the right fixtures and not make a mistake with their location. Otherwise, the charm of the night area will be lost.

The main types

Landscape lighting is one of the important components of the exterior, which gives the site a comfortable look. Moreover, it performs many functions. It should not be considered that it is intended only to illuminate the area at night. The light, correctly and correctly placed on the site, is able to emphasize the dignity of the estate, hide minor flaws and even introduce some “magic” into certain elements (for example, in the gazebo).

Depending on the function performed, the following types of landscape lighting are distinguished:

• duty (security);
• functional;
• decorative;
• festive;
• architectural and artistic.

Each of them will be a wonderful decoration for your site. The main thing is to develop competent design of landscape lighting. This will make the site unique and unique. Do not forget that lighting can become a "highlight" of the estate, but its excess or improper design can deprive the garden of charm and mystery.

Let's consider each view in more detail.

Emergency lighting

This view is intended to protect the site during the absence of the owners or when they are sleeping. For emergency lighting, floodlights containing motion sensors are often used. This allows you to find out about any person who appears on the territory. The sensors are triggered by movement, and the spotlight turns on.

Such lighting performs a security function, scaring away the ill-wishers from the estate. And at the same time, it perfectly saves electricity, since it is turned on only as needed.

Where to place such landscape lighting? Most often it is mounted in places that need protection. This is the perimeter of the territory under video surveillance, front door, garage.

Functional lighting

The name speaks for itself. It is designed to safely navigate the territory at night. Perfectly demonstrates such a landscape lighting photo.

They place it near garden paths, bridges, stairs and many other elements that serve to move around the site.

When choosing lighting fixtures, be sure to consider the overall design. They should not contrast with the exterior. All lighting elements should emphasize the created ensemble. In addition, remember that in the daytime they serve as small architectural forms.

Lawn lamps are great for this role. They perfectly highlight garden paths. In addition, such a light "does not strike" in the eye.

High pillars, unfortunately, are not always able to harmoniously fit into the composition. Such lighting makes the estate more strict and dampens its comfort.

Do not forget that functional lighting should be durable, simple, economical. Therefore, it is recommended to use lamps with a motion sensor or solar-powered.

Decorative lighting

It differs from the above types of its functionality. This design is not intended for safe movement. A completely different role is played by such lighting. Landscaping with the help of this design is decorated. At the same time, it is decorative lighting that creates the originality and uniqueness of the estate.

There are many options for fixtures:

• optical fiber;
• luminous figures;
• decorative lamps;
• backlit stones.

This lighting allows you to "play" with light colors. You can emphasize the shapes of sculptures, fountains, ornamental plants. With a little imagination, you can make a cozy corner from the gazebo, designed for a romantic pastime.

Decorative lighting goes well with various elements of garden decorations. Therefore, the site will look great not only at night, but also during the day.

Architectural decoration

A great example of this type is flood lighting. Landscaping benefits from this design. Lighting in this case highlights the entire facade of the house. This introduces a certain zest and ensures the uniqueness of the building in comparison with the adjacent dark houses.

This lighting can serve as an excellent decoration for a personal plot. But it is very important to plan it correctly. Wrong choice of fixtures or their incorrect placement can introduce disharmony. In this case, the front section of the garden will look somewhat ridiculous. Therefore, it is better to involve specialists in such a design.

Festive lighting

It creates an amazing and joyful atmosphere on your site. It is thanks to his appearance that you can create a sense of celebration.

For this type of lighting, LED strips are most often used. You can use neon lights.

Landscape LED lighting is able to originally distinguish a wide variety of objects. The contour lighting of the house looks beautiful. The lighting of various sculptures and trees looks original. Such techniques can create a real sense of celebration, a miracle. They will cheer up not only the owners, but also guests and even casual passers-by.

Choice of fixtures

To illuminate the territory are special park lights. They are produced in a variety of styles. This allows owners to select the necessary lights even with the most refined tastes. However, such elements are more likely to be a day decor, because it is rather difficult to consider the design of a lamp at night.

Thus, in order to create a harmonious landscape lighting, fixtures should be selected of a special type.

The following types are often used:

1. Downlights. Such models are used to highlight objects. They perfectly fulfill the role of emergency lighting. However, using such models, be sure to consider that they provide a powerful blinding stream of light. In some cases, this can even be dangerous. For example, if there is a road nearby where cars pass by. It is best to select low-power models with a soft diffused stream of light.
2. Lamps Uplights. Such models direct light from the bottom up. They are mainly used to decorate buildings, shrubs, trees, roofs, architectural elements. Visually, Uplights models resemble a spot of light.
3. Lamps for lighting steps and railings. For such a task, you can use conventional devices with dull light. However, designers most often use hidden models that can be easily integrated into an element. The housing of such lamps is completely hidden. This allows you to create a wonderful effect that pleases the eye.
4. Underwater lights. Special models with a certain class of protection. They are able to work for a long time under water. They are used for lighting reservoirs, fountains.

Track Design

This is one of the important points without which it will not work to create a cozy landscape design. Lighting of the site must begin with the allocation of paths, paths, alleys.

It should be clearly understood that this backlight provides safe movement around the site. Therefore, the light should not be too bright. This will not only make walking paths uncomfortable, but will also bring disharmony into the overall composition.

You can use the following tips to light your tracks:

1. Small alleys in the form of columns will perfectly highlight the alleys. They do not exceed 1 m in height. They are usually called bollards. Such columns are equipped with matt or white diffusers. Most often, the light from them is directed downward. They are usually arranged in a staggered sequence, on either side of the track.
2. There are special Pathlights designed to highlight the contours of paths. Often they are placed in grass or roadside shrubs.
3. The “floor” backlight looks original. In this case, the lamps are mounted along the edge of the tracks - in the curbs.

Highlighting design elements

Landscaping the garden will require connecting all your imagination. Some owners trust the design of gazebos, ponds, alpine slides and other non-standard compositions. After all, one object may look different, depending on the lighting.

If you are determined to do this yourself, it is recommended that you initially experiment with light. Place the light in one place at once, then transfer it to another area.

Perhaps, the following recommendations will help you design correctly:

1. The distance from the lamp to the subject, the viewing angle play an important role in the perception of the overall picture.
2. Trees, bushes are most often highlighted from below.
3. Benches, arbors can be effectively allocated if the stream of light is directed from the lamp placed on the next tree.

Pond lighting

This is a very simple design. But at the same time, this is the most beautiful landscape lighting of the site.

For this design, follow the recommendations of the designers:

1. Use halogen lights to illuminate ponds. They must be located almost near the surface of the water.
2. Ordinary light can give the impression of dirty water. To avoid this, use a special blue color filter.
3. To ensure the most safe location near the water at night, it is recommended to place lamps around the entire perimeter of your body of water.

Additional recommendations

When planning to create harmonious landscape lighting, consider a number of essential tips:

1. The “smart home” system is very popular. It involves controlling the lighting from one remote control. Such a system is very convenient for owners.
2. For our climate, fixtures located above the surface of the earth are better suited. Designers do not recommend the use of lighting devices designed to be buried in the soil.
3. It is not at all rational to place lights equipped with a motion sensor if there are animals in the house. In such areas, it is best to use photocells to turn on / off the light.
4. When planning a harmonious landscape design, be sure to include lighting on all the stairs of the house.
5. If you want to design the exterior with colored lighting, it is recommended to use LED lights.
6. To visually create the feeling of a multi-level garden, use lights of different heights. This effect will be perfectly ensured by a combination of various models of lamps: ordinary, pendant, built-in, wall.
7. The decoration of moving water with colored light looks beautiful. Designers recommend using such lighting for waterfalls and fountains.
8. If you use solar lamps, then to give the model colored light, you can put in a removable part a few rowan berries, a bright flower or glass beads.
9. It is best to plan the design of the site in small "islands". The continuous lighting of the site looks rather uninteresting and rude. If you focus on certain areas, you get a feeling of a certain riddle, mystery. All designers build lighting planning precisely on the game of contrast of light and shadow.

Summary

As you can see, many great ideas allow you to originally design lighting on the site. Do not be afraid to experiment. Perhaps it is you who will create an unrivaled light show on your territory!

I wish you creative success!